Means for curving sausage links

ABSTRACT

A device for creating curved sausage links involves extruding an elongated sausage strand having linear protein fibers therein out of an elongated hollow meat emulsion extrusion tube. The flow of meat emulsion through the tube is partially restricted by a restrictor element within the tube which permits a portion of the meat emulsion to pass thereover in a substantially uninterrupted manner, but which requires a separate layer of meat emulsion to have its movement through the tube inhibited by engaging the restrictor element and having to move thereover to exit the tube. When the sausage strand is subjected to heat, the uninterrupted portion is inclined to have more lengthwise shrinkage in the presence of heat than the other layer, thus causing the sausage link to assume a curved configuration. The device has a stuffing tube with the restrictor element therein as described heretofore.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 10/037,098 filed Oct.22, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,452 issued Aug. 24, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Curved sausage links, as compared to straight sausage links, have greatappeal in certain sausage markets throughout the World. Efforts havebeen made to create a curved configuration in otherwise straightsausages by using mechanical forces or pre-curved casings. Otherattempts have been made to create curved sausages by introducing twoseparate streams of meat-dough into a stuffing tube whereby the separatelayers of sausage material will shrink in variable increments to inducea curve in the resulting link. However, introducing two differentmeat-dough materials into the casing is difficult and expensive. Otherdisadvantages of earlier inventions (e.g., EPO720816B1) is that the flowof material will be blocked by meat particles when producing sausagestrands of smaller diameters.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a methodand means for curving sausage links wherein only a single material canbe introduced into the sausage extrusion or stuffing tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide a resistor element inthe hollow sausage tube to allow a first portion of the sausage emulsionto flow freely through the tube while another portion of sausagematerial will be inhibited by the resistor element, thereby allowing thefirst portion to have linearly disposed protein fibers, which graduallyprogresses to a second portion comprised of interrupted sausage emulsionwhich will have sausage fibers disposed in a random orientation, thuscausing a different shrinkage phenomenon between the two generalportions when heat is supplied thereto.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device for creating curved sausage links involves extruding anelongated sausage strand having linear protein fibers therein out of anelongated hollow meat emulsion extrusion tube. The flow of meat emulsionthrough the tube is partially restricted by a restrictor element withinthe tube which permits a portion of the meat emulsion to pass thereoverin a substantially uninterrupted manner, but which requires a separateportion of meat emulsion to have its movement through the tube inhibitedby engaging the restrictor element and having to move thereover to exitthe tube. This phenomenon causes the unrestricted meat emulsion to havethe elongated protein fibers therein to position themselves in a linearconfiguration, with the interrupted meat emulsion portion having theprotein fibers therein changed to a random configuration. A gradient ofthe linear fibers generally called a first portion gradually progressesto the second general portion where the fibers are in a randomconfiguration. When the sausage strand comprising the two generalportions which exit the extrusion tube are subjected to heat, theuninterrupted portion is inclined to have more lengthwise shrinkage inthe presence of heat than the other portions, thus causing the sausagelink to assume a curved configuration. The device has a stuffing tubewith the restrictor element therein as described heretofore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an extrusion or stuffing tube usedin this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elongated sectional view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view at a an enlarged scale of therestrictor element located within the stuffing tube;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the restrictor element as seen fromthe left hand end of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5A is an end elevational view of the restrictor element showing analternate form thereof and being similar to the view shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the stuffing tube similar to that of FIG.3 but showing meat emulsion flowing therethrough;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a sausage machine embodying the featuresof this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of a heated sausage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 7, a conventional sausage making machine 10 has aframe 12 and supporting legs 14. A meat emulsion pump 16 is operativelyconnected to a stuffing or extrusion tube 18 of this invention which islocated directly upstream from a conventional twister assembly 20.Immediately downstream therefrom is a conventional linker assembly 22which divides the sausage strand from the twister to be divided intoseparate sausage links. Those links are discharged conventionally fromthe linker assembly through a discharge horn 24. A conventional linkcutter 26 divides the sausage strand into a plurality of links which aredeposited on the endless conveyor 28. The conveyor 28 deposits the linksthereon through a heater 30, which in turn deposits the links to an exitconveyor 32. The heater 30 could be a microwave oven, a vat of hot oil,a frying surface, a steam cooker with saturated hot air, hot liquidsmoke, etc. The links 34 on conveyor 28 have a straight configuration,and as will be explained hereafter, the links 34 are changed to a curvedconfiguration as shown by the links 36 shown on conveyor 32. This changein configuration is effected as the links pass through the heater 30.

With reference to FIG. 3, the numeral 38 designates the intake end ofextrusion tube 18 which receives meat emulsion from the pump 16. Tube 18has a discharge end 40 which discharges a strand of meat emulsion to thetwisting mechanism 20. The tube 18 conventionally has a hollowcylindrical bore 42. A restrictor element 44 (FIG. 3) has a ramp 46which extends forwardly and upwardly from the bottom of bore 42. The topsurface 48 of the restrictor element 44 has an arcuate shape as bestshown in FIG. 5 or 5A. The forward end of the restrictor elementterminates in a diagonal undercut front end 50 which is locatedapproximately 10 mms from the discharge end 40. As shown in FIG. 3, theinclined ramp 46 and the diagonal undercut front end 50 have differentangles relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube 18. The crosssectional area of the restrictor element with respect to the crosssectional area in a hollow portion of the tube is between 1-2 to 1-8.The restrictor element is located in an off-center position within thetube. The restrictor element engages a bottom portion of the hollowtube, and has a concave arcuate surface on a to surface thereof. An openpassageway is formed above the restrictor element having an ellipticalcross-sectional shape. The restrictor element 44 is secured with tube 18by set screw 51. A passage 52 is created above the restrictor element.The single sausage strand 54 (FIG. 6) has a portion 56 comprising agradient portion 58 wherein the protein fibers 57A are in a longitudinalor linear configuration. The portions 56 and 58 are forcedlongitudinally through the tube 18 in an uninterrupted fashion past andabove the restrictor element 48 so that the linear orientation of theprotein fibers 57A therein is significantly not interrupted. Again withreference to FIGS. 6 and 8, a lower portion 60 of the sausage strand 54comprises a lower portion 62 comprised of fibers 57B of randomorientation. The lower portion 62 of meat emulsion encounters the ramp46 of restrictor element 44 and moves upwardly and over the top surface48 thereof, and thence over the front end thereof to fill the portion ofthe stuffing tube forwardly of the restrictor element (FIG. 6). Thus,the sausage strand exiting the tube 18 is comprised of an upper portion58 wherein the protein fibers are linearly disposed, and a lower portion62 wherein the protein fibers are variably dispersed in a random fashionby the restrictor element 44. In reality, a gradient exists wherein thelinearly aligned fibers of the upper portion 58 gradually transitions tothe randomly aligned fibers in the “lower” portion 62. Thus, thedischarged sausage strand 58A comprised of the two portions 58 and 62moves into the heating oven 30. The temperature within the heating oven30 should be in the range of approximately 650-85° C. In this heatedenvironment, the upper portion 58 shrinks lengthwise at a greater degreethan the lower portion 62, and thereupon causes the otherwise straightlinks 34 to assume the curved condition shown by the links 36 (FIGS. 7and 8). This method is applicable to sausage strands of differentdiameters.

It is therefore seen that this invention permits the creation of curvedlinks of sausages without any external forces and with only a singlesausage emulsion. It is therefore seen that this invention will achieveat least all of its stated objectives.

1. A sausage extrusion tube, comprising, an elongated hollow tube havinga meat emulsion intake end and a meat emulsion discharge end, arestrictor element in the tube to partially restrict the longitudinalmovement of sausage emulsion therethrough so as to divide meat emulsionpassing therethrough into separate longitudinal portions comprised offirst portion of meat emulsion that passes, engages and is deflected topass over the restrictor element, and a second portion that does notengage the restrictor element and passes thereby without beingdeflected, wherein the restrictor element engages a bottom portion ofthe hollow tube, wherein an inclined ramp is on an upstream end of therestrictor element, wherein the restrictor element has a forward endthat terminates in a diagonal undercut front end, and wherein theinclined ramp and the diagonal undercut front end have different anglesrelative to a longitudinal axis of the tube.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein the cross sectional area of the restrictor element with respectto the cross sectional area in a hollow portion of the tube is between1-2 to 1-8.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the restrictor element islocated in an off-center position within the tube.
 4. The device ofclaim 1 wherein a downstream end of the restrictor element isapproximately 10 mm from the discharge end.
 5. The device of claim 1wherein the restrictor element has a concave arcuate surface on a topsurface thereof.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein an open passageway isformed above the restrictor element having an elliptical cross-sectionalshape.